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"(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

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sibendovi.w2

"(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

Hello,

I was wondering if there is way to run Delay>>wait with zero CPU usage to give better chances to other forked processes on machine to finish sooner. On Windows 7 virtual machine goes to 100% CPU usage of single thread during the #wait.

Thank you,

Stan

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Marten Feldtmann-4

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

There is no need to do this - actually with a Delay in the UI thread you force VA to poll the system.

Marten

Am Mittwoch, 26. April 2017 03:09:42 UTC+2 schrieb [hidden email]:

Hello,

I was wondering if there is way to run Delay>>wait with zero CPU usage to give better chances to other forked processes on machine to finish sooner. On Windows 7 virtual machine goes to 100% CPU usage of single thread during the #wait.

Thank you,

Stan

Louis LaBrunda

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

In reply to this post by sibendovi.w2

Hi Stan,

Something seems odd here. Delays should not use 100% CPU unless the computer/OS doesn't have the timer interrupt installed, see Delay class #preStartUp and #initializeTimerInterrupt. In that case #wait will do a Processor yield and if you are looping on the wait, that can run up the CPU. I don't know much about Windows 7 virtual machine but I would look there to see if/why timer interrupt isn't supported or needs to be turned on. If you are in the development environment, you can inspect Delay installed, to see if the timer interrupt is installed. If it isn't or can't be turned on, get back to us and we will see what else we can think of.

Lou

On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:09:42 PM UTC-4, [hidden email] wrote:

Hello,

I was wondering if there is way to run Delay>>wait with zero CPU usage to give better chances to other forked processes on machine to finish sooner. On Windows 7 virtual machine goes to 100% CPU usage of single thread during the #wait.

Thank you,

Stan

Bob Brodd

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

In reply to this post by sibendovi.w2

Hi Stan

On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:09:42 PM UTC-4, [hidden email] wrote:

Hello,

I was wondering if there is way to run Delay>>wait with zero CPU usage to give better chances to other forked processes on machine to finish sooner. On Windows 7 virtual machine goes to 100% CPU usage of single thread during the #wait.

Thank you,

Stan

Bob Brodd

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

In reply to this post by sibendovi.w2

Hi Stan,

You can try using AbtTimedWait instead of Delay. It has a slightly different protocol from Delay; for example, a 5 second delay would be initiated by "AbtTimeWait forSeconds: 5" instead of "(Delay forSeconds: 5) wait". It uses asynchronous callouts (if supported) and the OS Sleep function to accomplish the delay.

Bob

On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:09:42 PM UTC-4, [hidden email] wrote:

Hello,

I was wondering if there is way to run Delay>>wait with zero CPU usage to give better chances to other forked processes on machine to finish sooner. On Windows 7 virtual machine goes to 100% CPU usage of single thread during the #wait.

Thank you,

Stan

Marten Feldtmann-4

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

Doing a Delay in the UI thread makes VASmalltalk polling - consuming 100% CPU time. Using AbtTimedWait creates an asynchrouns call - but does actually NOTHING in the semantic meaning you expect.

The simple answer to your question is: do NOTHING ... and leave your VASmalltalk alone and then the background processes will get maximum performance. If you move your application windows around, make a resize or anything else in your UI and the UI thread will have to do work (and your background process will loose CPU cycles).

Perhaps an alternative is to create background processes with ultra-high priority - but that may introduce other problems.

Marten

sibendovi.w2

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

Hi Marten,

I am forking Windows operating system process, and would like to wait for it to finish by periodically checking if its output file exists. It would be cleaner if VA would not consume 100% CPU of one core, to give more resources to that forked process. It is not big problem. I was just curious if I am not missing some simple settings.

Have a nice day,

Stan

Marten Feldtmann-4

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

Then the solution is simple:

* create a Smalltalk green process (background) and do the work in this Smalltalk green process.

* if the Smalltalk green process has found the state you are waiting for you may signal the UI about that

Marten

sibendovi.w2

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

In reply to this post by Bob Brodd

Hi Bob,

Thank you for suggestion. AbtTimedWait is indeed idling CPU. However, it keeps UI active, and breaks Debugger while stepping over it on "Primitive failed in: Process>>#stackAtFrame:offset: due to Process dead in receiver".

One could not have everything :-).

Have a nice day,

Stan

sibendovi.w2

Re: "(Delay forSeconds: aSeconds) wait" consume 100% CPU of single thread

In reply to this post by Marten Feldtmann-4

Hi Marten,

I am proceeding with ordinary Delay>>wait to not increase complexity and cost of maintenance of the code. Slightly higher CPU usage is small price for single threaded debugging.

Thank you all for valuable information,

Stan